British Museum and TEFAF Restore Beirut Artifacts After Port Explosion
Almost one year following the explosion in Beirut on August 4, 2020, the British Museum, aided by TEFAF, is in the process of restoring ancient glass items from the Archaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut (AUB). The explosion, triggered by a fire in an ammonium nitrate warehouse, resulted in over 200 fatalities, thousands of injuries, and left 300,000 people without homes, damaging cultural sites, including the AUB museum, located 3.2 km from the blast. Out of 72 glass pieces from Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic eras, only 15 could be restored, with 8 deemed fit for transfer to the British Museum. TEFAF's Museum Restoration Fund is financing this project, and the artifacts will be displayed in London before their return to Beirut.
Key facts
- The explosion occurred on August 4, 2020 in Beirut's port area.
- The blast was caused by a fire in a warehouse storing ammonium nitrate.
- Over 200 people were killed, thousands injured, and more than 300,000 left homeless.
- The Archaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut (AUB) is 3.2 km from the explosion site.
- 72 glass containers from Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods were in the display case.
- Only 15 of the 72 containers were declared restorable; the rest were destroyed.
- Only 8 of the restorable pieces can be transported to the British Museum.
- TEFAF's Museum Restoration Fund, founded in 2012, is funding the restoration.
Entities
Institutions
- British Museum
- TEFAF (The European Fine Art Foundation)
- Archaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut (AUB)
- National Museum of Beirut
- ALIPH (International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas)
- Musée du Louvre
Locations
- Beirut
- Lebanon
- London
- Maastricht